Gov. Bill Haslam, four other governors to testify at bipartisan hearing on health care reform

Aug. 23--WASHINGTON -- Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and governors from four other states will testify next month before a Senate committee that is looking for ways to strengthen the individual health insurance market.

The governors will appear Sept. 7 at a bipartisan hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. The panel is chaired by Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.

Besides Haslam, a Republican, the other governors scheduled to testify are Republican Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, Democrat Steve Bullock of Montana, Republican Gary Herbert of Utah and Democrat John W. Hickenlooper of Colorado.

The hearing is one of two that will focus on stabilizing premiums and helping people in the individual market in light of Congress' failure to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.

State insurance commissioners, including Julie Mix McPeak of Tennessee, will appear at a separate hearing on Sept. 6.

The attempts at a bipartisan approach to fixing health care mark a change in strategy after the failure last month of GOP efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare. The GOP bill was pieced together behind closed doors by a small group of Republican senators, with no input from Democrats and no public hearings.

Alexander has said his goal is to complete work on a plan by the end of September.

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